Am I Intolerant?

As a woman, as a mother and as a student surrounded by creative young men and women, I am often chastised by others for not being tolerant of religion. I am told that being an Atheist requires just as much assumption as being religious and that in my dismissal of all faiths I am ignoring the good that religion brings into the world.

I do not believe that there is any good that religion, any religion, is doing in the world.

I think that every faith promotes ignorance, separation, discrimination and hatred.

When people contrast their faiths to those more extreme (often the Taliban) I compare them.

I do this because I am intolerant of the crutch of religion. I do this because when someone tells me that they are Christian, but have nothing against homosexuals, it rings about as honest as a Neo-Nazi telling me they have nothing against minorities.

I find their accusations that I would be happier in my "traditional place as a woman," to be hateful and coming from a place of spiteful ignorance.

I am aggravated as others try to hang a label of "agnostic" on me, when what I really am is an atheist.

I have no doubts that I have made the right choice to abandon the myths of my mother and her mother. There is no question in my mind.

People have said to me that they cling to the belief in gods out of a hope for cosmic justice.

I think that it is the belief in these gods that create most of the injustices we suffer in our lives. Our feelings of frustrations, our self-imposed limitations on our hopes for love and happiness, our misery in the feelings of constant scrutiny from an unloving, constantly judging omnipotent figure of our own design, all of these things are the waste product of an out-dated hate machine.

I find nothing redeeming in religion. Religion flaunts opulence in the face of starving believers and implants hatred in the innocent and inquisitive minds of children. It creates division where there should be none.

I am not tolerant of religion any more than I would tolerate any other form of indoctrinated bigotry.

Spend just 10 minutes at a shelter in the inner city and see if you still feel the same way. Although their reasoning might come from a misguided place, the actions of volunteers at these places is rarely matched by secular service organizations. This is one of the few issues I have with atheism, that there is little incentive to put yourself out on behalf of others less fortunate.

They do it out of self-interest, genius, not to "put themselves out on behalf of others less fortunate." Reward and punishment. I call it canine ethics.

If "God" told them he wouldn't reward them for it anymore, you wouldn't see a single theist helping anyone. No one would get a fucking morsel. They don't give a fuck about gays do they? What about women who need and want an abortion? No, instead they tell people in the middle of an AIDS ridden continent to stop using condoms because fuck if I know.

I guess God likes getting fucked without a rubber.

Religion has been, and still is, setting back our entire species for centuries. We owe the retardation of our kind, and the stagnation of our process to them. More people and thus potential intellectual energy has been lost to religion than lives of people to all sicknesses ever combined. For every infinitesimal good they do, they do damage a thousand fold.

For us to say that their actions are helping in some way, is like saying a rapist is a nice guy because he bought you flowers first.

As for the OP, you can probably tell my answer by how I write. No you're not intolerant. Fuck em.

I find nothing redeeming in religion. Religion flaunts opulence in the face of starving believers and implants hatred in the innocent and inquisitive minds of children. It creates division where there should be none.

@ Melvinotis I think kOrsan is right. The only reason those guys are doing good is because of the belief they will go to heaven[thinking about their future as the main drive] which is as personal as any reason

Well clearly you just haven't found the right church. If you did, the beauty of the Word Of Gawd would be self-evident to you, and you'd see the light, and you'd be happy to go off bashing gays and those devil-worshiping atheists as you meekly cook meals for your domineering husband. But never fear with modern technology you can multitask and be doing his wash at the same time! Isn't it a wonderful time to be a Christian!

Tolerence is not acceptance. Any more than ignorance is the lack of awareness. some do not want to question these things too far because it literally hits them in the reptile mind. Because the threat of being without the FAITH they construct their lives on would deconstruct the existance they believe themselves to be a part of. Pretty much they will not understand because they think it will kill them. Look at it this way if you thought someone was trying to kill you with words your rational brain (knowing this is a conversation not a gun battle) would conclude that the messengers words must be false and fight back with their faithful words.

I have told so many that you don't understand what i am because if you did it would kill you (drama!!). you would cease to exist. they laugh and think god or jesus or whatever will come to me one day and I will understand. I will tell them if you listen to me it will kill you (more drama!!). How brave you are to lend me your shield, but no god exists, and that shield is like the emporers new clothes to me. because I understand more then your god will ever let you know. why would i ever be able to give that up. Then they say i will pray for you as they look at me with fear and feigned amusement. I say I will pray for you as well. Confusion strikes them and they question and I say if i tell you more I maybe arrested for murder. Oh so dramatic. they usually dismiss as satans agent which is fine with me. In the way they believe all atheists are really.

"If "God" told them he wouldn't reward them for it anymore, you wouldn't see a single theist helping anyone."

Nonsense. People do things selflessly - and that's largely independent of their beliefs or lack of them. I do. I know others that do - both atheist and theists. You may not. It's up to you.

Of course some maintain that there is no such thing as true selflessness, that people only do good work for the reward THEY feel arising from helping others; but that, too, is independent of religion.

There are genuinely good people who are religious; and I say that despite agreeing with virtually everything Carol said about religion itself. There are also selfish assholes - both religious and atheists. There are some of each right here on this board, though I've come across far more good people in my life than selfish assholes).